Keep Me Sane
by BabyDoll2812
Summary: Rose and the Metacrisis Doctor begin their lives together. . but everything isn't alright. Rose is suffering from PTSD and The Doctor is having a hard time adjusting to the slow path. Will they be able to help one another or will Rose's nightmares and The Doctor's wanderlust drive them apart? (contains adult material and triggers)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Don't own anything related to Doctor Who or Torchwood. . . Wish I did tho. . anyway. . . Just some warnings. . this story will contain things that some may consider triggers. Violence, gore, Angst, PTSD, and a few more. I'll put up a warning on those chapters as I go. Please review and let me know what you think :) Also. . . I need an editor/proofreader if anyone is interested. **

The flight back from that God forsaken beach in Norway was lasting an eternity. Jackie had called Pete, who had somehow arranged to have, after about 2 hours wait time, a small personal jet land nearby. The Doctor had been pleasantly surprised to see the sleek black aircraft land about half a mile in front of them. Jackie had talked non-stop on the walk to where the jet sat, waiting to be boarded, about her son Tony and about her marriage to this universe's Pete Tyler. He had only half listened, nodding when necessary, most of his attention focused on Rose. She was quiet and deep in thought, only glancing at him briefly when she thought he wasn't looking.

Now, about an hour into the flight, everyone was silent. Rose was staring out of the small circular window, watching the clouds drift beneath them, fidgeting almost non-stop. She sighed heavily and leaned her forehead against the cool glass, making herself relax and get her emotions under control. She sat like that, eyes closed and breathing deeply, until she drifted off to sleep. The Doctor watched her quietly from his seat across from her. She was thinner than he remembered her being before and she no longer looked like the cheeky teenager he'd traveled with. Even in sleep she looked tense and guarded.

"Poor thing. . . First time I've seen her sleep in ages." Jackie whispered from her seat next to Rose. She moved over a to her right to put distance between herself and her sleeping daughter, being careful not to touch her. The Doctor gave her a questioning look when she'd settled down. "Don't wanna startle this one when she's sleeping. Dangerous. . ." she warned quietly. "Why's that?" he asked, his voice matching her hushed tone. She shook her head and looked away, resting her head on the back of her seat. "You should follow her lead. Won't hurt to have a kip." Jackie suggested, closing her own eyes and making a point to look as though she were already asleep.

The Doctor rolled his eyes, annoyed, and looked back over at Rose. She was sleeping but only just barely unconscious. He felt his own body growing heavy with exhaustion and sighed. Perhaps a nap wouldn't hurt. . after all. . he'd have time to talk to Rose later. He'd have a lot of time. . slow linear time. . he wasn't going anywhere. His mouth pressed into a tight thin line. This wasn't going to be easy.

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5 hours later, the taxi they had taken after arriving at the airport, pulled into the drive of the Tyler Mansion. For the most part, everything basically looked the same as the last time he'd been there. The landscaping and hedges were as close to flawless as they could get and the flower beds that wrapped around the base of the mansion were an impressive array of bright colors. The sun was setting, painting the sky with orange and pink, a much welcome difference to the overcast sky of Bad Wolf Bay.

As the car came to a stop, Rose wasted no time in opening the door and getting out. She needed to be alone, needed time to think. She hurried to the large ornate front doors and pushed them open. She didn't wait for her mother or for The Doctor. Pete and Tony were on their way out as she entered. She stopped long enough to hug them both briefly, assure them that everything was fine, then rushed upstairs to her room. When the door clicked shut, she breathed a sigh of relief. Leaning back against the door, she let her body slide down until she was sitting on the floor. She sat there, staring blankly at the beige carpet, listening to the sounds drifting up from downstairs. Cheerful greetings being exchanged and vague explanations for Pete's many questions.

Rose clutched her hand over her aching heart and fought back a sob. Nothing had turned out like she had expected. She'd worked so hard, for so long to get back to her Doctor, only to be left here again. Yes. . in a way The Doctor was here with her. . but he wasn't her Doctor. How could he be? She shook her head and rubbed the heel of her hands into her eyes. There was no point in dwelling on it now. What's done is done, can't change it. She made up her mind to push away the anger and try to move forward. She had to try. . . for the sake of her own sanity.

Maybe he wasn't her Doctor. . . but perhaps he was enough like her Doctor ease the pain of the gaping aching hole in her heart. Rose stood slowly and walked to her ensuite. She toed off her trainers and shed her jacket, dropping it to the floor carelessly. She pulled her vest top up over her head and tossed it on top of her discarded jacket then unbuttoned and shimmied out of her jeans. She inhaled deeply and squared her shoulders, looking herself over in the large mirror wearing only her bra and knickers. Her whiskey brown eyes roamed over her body, taking note of the several scars she'd obtained during her time at Torchwood.

A shiny jagged line on the inside of her left forearm, a bumpy circular scar from a bullet on the front of her right shoulder with it's matching twin on the back of the same shoulder. . the bullet had gone all the way through and shattered her shoulder blade. . . Three vivid slightly pink gashes on her right hip reaching from her pelvic bone down to almost mid thigh. She trailed her fingertips over the gashes on her hip and frowned. The scars were unattractive but they told a story. . her story. . . and she'd never get rid of them.

She turned around and started her shower, turning the water as hot as she could stand it, before stripping off the rest of her clothes and stepping in. She held it together long enough to scrub her hair and body clean before sinking to the floor of the shower and letting go. She wept harder than ever before, the silent sobs wracking her body as she knelt there, the hot water washing her tears and heart ache down the drain.

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Downstairs the Doctor sat in the large family room with Pete. While the inside of the mansion, for the most part, looked the same. . there were obvious changes. Toddler toys scattered about, family photos hanging on the wall, several new knick knacks that Jackie had collected . . . it looked lived in now. The Doctor's attention shifted back to Pete as he spoke.

"How do you plan to move forward from here Doctor?" Pete asked after taking a sip of the brandy he held in his hand. He rotated the small glass causing the ice cubes to clink against one another. The Doctor looked at the brandy he held in his own hand, then took a large gulp of it. It felt great going down, spreading warmth throughout his chest and stomach. He exhaled deeply through his nose. "I'm not sure. . . didn't exactly get a chance to plan ahead did I?" he responded, irritation creeping into his voice. Pete nodded in understanding and considered his next statement for a moment before speaking.

"I know you just got here. . . and your welcome to stay as long as you like. It's the least I could do. . . " Pete paused for a moment, polished off his brandy and sat the glass down on the end table next to him before continuing, "I'd also like to officially extend an offer to you." The Doctor arched his brow and smirked. He knew where this was going. "I don't really want to work for Torchwood. I'm sure you've done wonderful things with it in this universe, Pete. . . but Torchwood and I don't usually mix well."

"Well. . be that as it may. . . we could still use you, Doctor. At least to help identify new alien technology that we recover. Mostly enough to tell us whether or not it's dangerous." Pete said, leaning back into his arm chair. The Doctor considered him for a long moment then nodded. "I could do that. . but on one condition." Pete nodded and waited for him to continue. "If I determine something to be too dangerous, I want to have the right to personally dispose of it. I won't help Torchwood to obtain or build weapons of mass destruction." he finished then tipped his glass back, swallowing the rest of the amber liquor. After a moment of silence, Pete chuckled. "Alright Doctor. . . I'd be a fool to turn you down. You have my word."

"Rose still works for Torchwood then?" the Doctor asked, running his hand through his hair. "Of course. . could you see her working anywhere else?" Pete responded lightly. The Doctor smiled and shook his head. They sat in companionable silence for a moment before The Doctor let out a huge yawn. Pete smiled and stood from his chair. "C'mon. . . I'll show you to a guest room. I know your knackered. I'll have your suit cleaned too. . you could borrow a pair of my PJs." he said, walking out of the room. The Doctor stood and shoved his hands into his pockets, looking down at his blue suit. It still smelled of smoke and sweat. That was new. . . he wasn't used to sweating much. This human body would take some getting used to.

He followed Pete out and up the large staircase. After making a quick detour to the master bed room to obtain a change of clothes, Pete led The Doctor to a guest room a few doors down the hall. Pete gave him an affectionate pat on the back before turning and heading back to his own room. The Doctor shifted the clothing to one arm and opened the door to his room. He stepped in and closed the door quietly behind him. The room was nicely decorated with pale creamy walls, gold light fixtures, black furniture and matching deep burgundy blankets, rug, and throw pillows.

He sat on the edge of the bed, unlaced his trainers, toed them off, and headed straight for the ensuite. Shower then bed. . . he'd face tomorrow when it came. This was going to be his life now. . one day at a time. Day after day, hour after hour, minute after minute. . . He pushed down the anxiety that began bubbling up in his chest as he began undressing for a shower. Tomorrow would be a new day. . . A new day for a new life to begin.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Don't own anything Doctor Who or BBC related. . . Enjoy and review! :) . . . oh, and still looking for an editor. Let me know if your interested!**

Rose sat up in her bed, letting the violet duvet slide down her torso to pool around her waist. She hadn't slept well but that was nothing new. The bright morning sun filtering through her drawn curtains made her eyes, still puffy from crying last night, ache. The nightmares weren't getting better and the lack of restful sleep was beginning to take it's tole on her body. Throwing her legs over the side of her bed, she stood and padded over to her closet.

She grabbed a black tank top and a pair of dark jeans. As she dressed her mind drifted to the human Doctor. How was he feeling about all this? What would he want to do with his life from here? He'd said he wanted to spend it with her, but what if she wasn't enough? She frowned and slipped on her worn red chucks. They needed to talk, needed to figure out they were to each other and how to move forward from here. She remembered the kiss on the beach, how it had been an impulsive reaction to hearing that voice say those words. It made her feel guilty.

Rose left her room and headed downstairs to the large kitchen. When they had first moved into the Tyler mansion, her mom had asked Pete to get rid of most of the hired help. She was so used to doing things on her own and had assured him that she'd lose her mind if she had nothing to do. He'd reluctantly agreed and let go of everyone except one maid, two gardeners, and a maintenance man who mostly stayed home with his family unless called. A nanny had been recruited when Tony was born but for the most part Jackie Tyler took care of her own.

As she entered the kitchen, Jackie greeted her with a smile and a plate of toast and eggs. "Mornin' Rose. Get any sleep?" she asked, setting a cup of tea down on the table in Rose's usual spot. Rose shrugged and sat in her chair. It was her chair, her spot. She wouldn't sit anywhere else because this spot gave her comfort. The chair's back was up against the wall so that Rose could sit there and see everything in the room without having to worry about anything but a wall behind her.

"N'more than usual, Mum." she said, lifting the cup of tea to her lips and blowing on it.

"Oh Rose... You should see someone 'bout that. You always look ready to drop..." Jackie fussed, turning her back to Rose to prepare another plate of food.

The sound of footsteps made Rose look up from her cup. The Doctor walked into the kitchen, moving with that confident air he always has. He always seems perfectly at ease and sure of himself no matter where he goes. It's one of the things that Rose loved about her Doctor. His confidence had a way of rubbing off on her and made her feel more secure. She couldn't help but offer him a small, almost shy, smile when his gaze settled on her. Her eyes roamed down his body, taking in every detail.

He was obviously wearing her Dad's PJs because the cotton trousers were a couple of inches too short. The matching pale blue top was only half buttoned, allowing her glimpse of his pale, deceptively toned chest. His hair was adorably ruffled from sleep, making her itch to run her fingers through it. He certainly looked like the same man, though she'd never seen the Time Lord look quite like this first thing in the morning.

The Doctor hesitated a moment, then walked over to the table and took the seat across from Rose. "Good Morning, Rose." he greeted. His voice was a little rough from sleep and he spoke her name as though it were his favorite word in the world. She was positive it was the sexiest sound she'd ever heard.

Jackie slid a plate of toast and eggs in front of him, pulling his attention away from Rose for a moment. He looked down at his plate then gave Jackie a look that said 'You-know-what-I-need'. Jackie huffed and went to the cabinets next to the fridge. After a moment she returned and held out a jar of strawberry jam toward him. He beamed at her and reached for it. She pulled it away just before he grabbed it.

"Don't you _dare_ use your fingers! Don't want your alien germs in my jam." she warned in a clipped tone. The Doctor rolled his eyes and Rose snickered.

"I don't have _germs_, Jackie. . . Honestly I don't know why you make it into such a big deal." he replied, picking up a spoon from the table and waving it at her.

She handed him the jam and gave him another pointed look before leaving the kitchen. They sat in silence for a moment, neither one knowing exactly what to say to the other. The Doctor was the first to break the silence. "You okay Rose?"

She looked up at him, pausing just before taking a nibble of her toast. "Me? 'M always alright." she replied, giving him a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. His heart sank at hearing his own words coming out of her mouth. She'd been mostly picking at her breakfast, not actually eating more than a couple bites.

The Doctor decided not to pry into her business just yet and heaped a mound of jam onto his plate. Rose watched as he mixed the jam into the eggs and piled the mixture onto the toast. By the time he took a huge bite and glanced up at her, she was grinning at him. "Good to see your taste hasn't changed." she said, laughing lightly. The sound of her laughter pleased him a great deal. It was a sound he'd longed to hear for so long. In his opinion it was easily the most beautiful sound in the entire universe.

Rose sighed and sipped at her tea, her eyes moving to the doorway of the kitchen. A moment later Pete entered, already dressed in a business suit and ready for the day.

"Ah, Rose! Mornin' sweetheart. Got something to talk to you about." Pete said, grabbing a slice of toast and moving to join them at the table. After sitting next to Rose he glanced at The Doctor's plate and scrunched up his nose. He cleared his throat and looked up at the Doctor.

"Mornin' Doctor. Hope you slept well." he said, smiling and nibbling at his toast.

"I did, Pete. Slept the whole night! I've never done that before. . . Guess this body will need a lot of sleep. Can't really tease Rose for sleeping so much anymore, can I?" he responded, winking at Rose. She gave him a small smile and glanced back toward the doorway. Seconds later a young brunette woman with pale skin and green eyes entered, wearing a conservative maid uniform and carrying a bundle of clothes.

"Mr. Tyler. . These are the clothes you requested." she said in a small voice, holding the bundle out to him.

"Right. Thank you, Pamela." Pete replied as he took the bundle and handed it to the Doctor. The maid bowed her head slightly and left the room. The Doctor finished the last bite of his breakfast then started looking through the clothes. Jeans, blue printed jumper, and a black hoodie with a zipper in the front.

"Those were Mickey's. . ." Rose's stated flatly. "He always kept a change here, just incase."

"You can wear those for now. I'll take you shopping for clothes of your own today. I've got a personal tailor if you'd like more suits. . . Your blue suit should be clean by this afternoon." Pete elaborated.

"Really? That'll be brilliant!" The Doctor beamed, eyebrows going way up. "I'll pay you back as soon as I start working."

Pete chuckled around his bite of toast and shook his head. The Doctor stood and headed out of the room to get changed. Rose pushed the eggs around on her plate, not the least bit interested in eating. Pete watched her for a moment, his lips pressed into a thin line. He didn't approve of her eating habits, or lack thereof. She was thinner now than when she'd first arrived and he knew she wasn't taking good care of herself.

For the past few years Rose had thrown herself, heart mind and soul, into working on the dimension cannon and getting back to the other universe. She'd worked day and night, rarely sleeping or eating and practically living at Torchwood. Pete knew she had developed an eating disorder and anemia shortly after her work began, however, for the past year she'd been showing symptoms of PTSD from her time traveling to alternate universes and her Torchwood missions. She was quick to anger, paranoid, jumpy, suffered from nightmares, and never felt safe. He knew that she'd never stop working for Torchwood. No other job would leave her feeling satisfied at the end of the day, and when it came down to it. . . she was a damn good Torchwood agent. She was a leader and he was very proud to have her call him 'Dad'.

"Rose. . . Mickey's position as head of Torchwood 3 is open. I'd like you to take over that branch. I think you'd be great there." he stated quietly, watching her closely to gauge her reaction.

"Yeah?" she asked, her lips quirking up at the corners a little.

"Yeah." he put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her into a gentle side hug.

"I'll do my best, Dad." Rose leaned her head against his shoulder for a moment before leaning back and looking up at him. "When do I leave for Cardiff?"

"Soon as your ready." he answered, standing and dusting off his trousers. "I'll arrange a flat for you, if you like... 2 bedrooms okay?"

Rose hesitated for a moment, feeling a little awkward about the situation, then nodded. The Doctor came back into the kitchen wearing Mickey's clothes and Rose gaped at him. She'd never seen him in such casual clothes before. It was so wrong. . . but somehow so right.

The jeans fit him almost perfectly, the hoodie was unzipped to reveal the blue printed jumper that said 'I'm With Stupid' with a big arrow pointing to the right. Mickey had loved that shirt, and while it made her feel a pang of sadness, it also sent a little thrill through her. The outfit really brought out The Doctor's cute boyish charm.

"Bet I look lousy in these." the Doctor muttered, grinning sheepishly at Rose and rubbing the back of his neck.

"N-No. . you look. . You look great Doctor." she stammered, tearing her eyes away and looking down at her shoes. They happened to both be wearing red chucks. . . Funny that. She had to ask him about Cardiff now, before she started packing. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, she walked over to him.

"Doctor. . " she began, coming to a stop just in front of him. She looked up to see him watching her intently, as though he were studying her every movement. "I'm going to take Mickey's position as head of Torchwood 3 in Cardiff. I'm packing today and relocating there tomorrow."

The Doctor shoved his hands deep into the jean pockets and remained silent for a moment. "That's it then?" he asked, irritation creeping into his voice. "You go to Cardiff and what? . . . I figure out what to do with myself here?" He'd tried to prepare himself for Rose's rejection but it hadn't helped. It hurt.

"Well. . . You could." she replied, reaching up and trailing her fingertips over the hoodie's zipper that rested against his chest. His dark brown eyes, now looking guarded, watched her hand move over his chest. She could feel his single heart pounding against her hand and her own heart skipped.

"Or you could. . . come with me. . . If you want." she added, looking up at him through her lashes. The Doctor visibly relaxed and smiled down at her. Wrapping his arms around her waist he pulled her into a tight embrace, burying his face into the nape of her neck.

"Rose Tyler. . . I'll go anywhere with you. . ." he sighed, holding her close. Rose reached up and wound her arms around his neck and returning the hug. So many emotions were stirring inside of her. . . Fear, insecurity, sadness, relief. . but most of all. . at this moment she felt hope bubbling up inside of her.

A few silent moments passed before Pete cleared his throat loudly. Rose pushed away from the Doctor, both of them giving Pete an apologetic smile.

"Best be off. See you later Sweetheart." Pete said, giving Rose a soft kiss on her forehead. He nodded his head toward the door, indicated that the Doctor should follow him, before turning and walking away. The Doctor turned to follow but stopped when Rose grasped his hand. He glanced down at her hand in his, realizing how much he'd missed holding her hand.

"Just. . ." she stopped, struggling to find the right words. She wanted to say 'Just come back.' or 'Don't disappear on me. . I need you.' but she couldn't bring herself to say those things. So instead she settled on, "Just have fun. I'll see you later, yeah?"

"Yeah." he replied, lifting her hand to his mouth and kissing her knuckles softly. His intense eyes held hers for a few long moments before he slowly dropped her hand and turned away. She stood there, watching as he walked away and reassuring herself that he'd return. She sighed heavily then headed to her room to pack up her belongings.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Don't own anything Doctor Who or Torchwood related. Hope you guys are enjoying the story. Things will start picking up a bit soon :)**

Pete sat down heavily on a wooden bench outside his tailor's shop. The shop itself was small and quaint, a family owned business and the only one he used for his suits. The tailor himself didn't have any special talents, but he was a charismatic family man with big dreams. Pete related to him on a lot of levels, invested in his business, and genuinely enjoyed his company. However, several long hours of listening to The Doctor's gob and trying to keep up with his hyperactive movement throughout the department stores had left him completely knackered.

He had told the Doctor go in on his own to be fitted for a few new suits, which had resulted in a long winded description about how he'd have to alter the pockets to be bigger on the inside. Pete had nodded, smiled, taken the Doctor's purchases and ushered him inside. He glanced down at the Doctor's bags and sighed. He hadn't really bought that much, not wanting to feel as though he were taking advantage of Pete's wealth. Pete had assured him that he didn't need to pay him back, or that he could consider his agreement to help Torchwood an even trade, but the Doctor wouldn't hear of it. He'd bought almost the bare minimum.

Two new pairs of trainers, one white and one black, a pair of jeans similar to the ones he was currently wearing, a few plain cotton jumpers, two pajama sets, socks and pants, and a variety of toiletry items. He'd only bought the jeans and jumpers because he'd remembered how Rose had reacted to seeing him wearing them, but he really wanted the comfort of his suit.

Pete waited patiently, hoping the Doctor would take at least an hour inside the small shop so that he could have a nice little rest before going home to a hyper toddler. He thanked God that it was the weekend and he didn't have to deal with anything job related until Monday.

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Rose sat in the middle of the floor in her room, the mid-day sun shining brightly through her open window. Her clothes had all been pulled from the closet and drawers and were in semi-neat stacks around her. She sat quietly, folding, sorting, and glancing behind her on occasion. She tossed a pair of shorts that were now too loose into her 'discard' pile. The pitter-patter of little feet caught her attention and made her smile.

"Roooooooose!" Tony yelled as he opened her door. Rose grinned at the sight of him standing on his tip toes to reach the door knob. His little blue cotton shirt rode up to show his little belly button poking out just above his green shorts. His wild red hair and bright eyes a perfect combination of their parents. He let go and ran to her, knocking over a small stack of folded pajama bottoms.

"There's my sunshine!" she cheered, catching him up in a tight hug. He hugged her back, his small arms wrapped firmly around her neck.

"No my shushine!" he stated, with a grin. Rose laughed and turned him around to sit in her lap. She continued to sort her clothes with the 'help' of her little brother for a few moments. Rose had always made it a necessity to spend time with Tony. He was her only little brother, one that she almost never got the chance to have. The fact that Tony even existed was a miracle and Rose wouldn't take it for granted. Time with someone special was irreplaceable and she knew that better than anyone.

"Tony! . . Tony where'd you go?!" Jackie called from the hallway. Tony put his hands over his eyes and giggled, thinking that he'd be invisible if he couldn't see anyone.

"In here, Mum!" Rose called back. A few seconds later Jackie entered the room. She came to a stop just inside the door and placed her hands on her hips, giving Tony one of her 'You-know-better' looks. She was wearing a matching pink track suit, a familiar and welcome sight to Rose. He peeked through his little fingers and squealed when he realized he'd been found. The toddler jumped up and, in a blur of movement, ran over and jumped up onto Rose's bed. Jackie looked around at the clothes all over Rose's bedroom floor.

"What's all this for, then?" she asked, walking over and sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Packing. I'm going to Cardiff. Taking up Mick's position at Torchwood 3. . . Dad didn't tell you?" Rose asked, standing up and stretching. She turned and walked to her closet. Jackie watched as her daughter pulled two large black duffle bags and a stainless steel briefcase from her closet.

"No." Jackie answered flatly as Rose started stuffing clothes into one of the duffel bags. Jackie wasn't angry with Pete about his failure to inform her. She knew he was probably just trying to avoid unnecessary confrontation. Jackie could raise hell all day about not wanting Rose to move away from home, but at the end of the day it was Rose's decision and nothing she said would change her stubborn daughter's mind.

"I'll visit often, Mum." Rose assured her as she shoved the rest of her clothes into the bag. She put her shoes: a pair of black combat boots, a pair of sandals, and a pair of grey and pink running shoes into the second bag along with a few other personal belongings. Rose hadn't really acquired a lot of belongings because she hadn't planned on remaining in this universe. Everything she owned fit comfortably into two large duffel bags.

She lifted the silver briefcase and placed it on top of her white desk. Jackie frowned as Rose released the locks with loud clicks and lifted the lid.

"I know you will, Rose. . . but I can't help but worry 'bout you." Jackie said, glancing back at Tony. He'd made himself comfortable on Rose's bed and was busy trying to get the pillowcase off of the pillow. Rose reached into the briefcase and picked up one of the sleek black handguns. She turned it over in her hands, studying it closely. After checking it over, making sure it was loaded and that the safety was on, she slipped it into the waistband in the back of her jeans. She pulled her tank top down to conceal the gun and retrieved the other gun from the briefcase. She checked it over just as she had with the first one and placed it carefully into a side pocket of the second duffle bag.

"Thanks Mum but. . . I've learned to take care of myself." Rose replied, giving her mother a tight smile that was supposed to be reassuring. Rose reached into the first bag and pulled out her blue jacket that she'd worn the day before. It was her favorite jacket, she'd worn it on all of her dimension hops and it felt like a much needed piece of armor to her.

"Have you?" her mother asked, giving her a pointed look. Rose knew where this was going and decided to ignore the question.

"I think. . as long as The Doctor is ready. . I'd like to go ahead and leave this afternoon. I don't want to wait around unnecessarily." Rose stated as she moved her luggage near her bedroom door. She walked over and knelt in front of her mother.

"Well I can't stop ya. . . even though I want to." Jackie sighed with frustrated resignation. She reached out and brushed Rose's blonde hair back out of her face, concern showing in her eyes. Rose sighed deeply and laid her head down onto her mother's lap. The two women sat quietly for a few moments as Jackie ran her fingers through her daughter's hair soothingly. This was something she had done for Rose when she was a child, and had started doing again for her after arriving in this universe. Sometimes she just needed the familiar comfort.

A soft knock sounded at the door, causing them to both look up.

"Heeeyy Hey Pama!" Tony exclaimed as the maid, Pamela, entered. She was carrying a lidded box under one arm and the Doctor's clean blue suit draped over her other arm.

"Hello Tony." Pamela answered with a bright smile. "Ms. Tyler. . I brought the Doctor's suit and the . . um. . contents of his pockets." she added, looking a little bemused.

"Oh no. . I should have warned you." Rose said, trying not to laugh. She hadn't thought to warn the maid about his bigger-on-the-inside pockets. Pamela sat the box down on Rose's desk next to the open briefcase and hung the suit in the closet. Rose thanked her as she left the room, then stood and walked over to the box.

"You think he'll be alright here?" Rose asked her mother. Jackie could hear the anxious undercurrent in her voice as she spoke.

"Ah, he'll be fine . . . He's got you and tha's all he needs." Jackie tried to reassure her as she watched her small son slide backwards off of the bed. He made his way over to Rose, his curious gaze focused on the box. Rose bent over and picked him up. She balanced Tony on her left hip and opened the box with her right hand. They both peered inside to see what had been inside the Doctor's pockets.

A spool of thin copper wire, a cat toy, a small notebook with a pen slipped into the spiral binding, a rather large ball of rubber bands, a large piece of alien technology that looked similar to a portable radio, a sonic screwdriver, two bananas, a mason jar filled with a variety of strange gemstones, large coins of alien currency, a stethoscope, a yellow rubber duck, 4 marbles and his black rimmed glasses.

Rose reached in and picked up the rubber duck. She squeaked it twice, handed it to Tony, then let him down. He excitedly ran over to Jackie to show off his new prize. Rose picked up the sonic screwdriver, looked it over and shook her head. "He knicked the sonic." she muttered.

"I did not knick the sonic." a voice said from her doorway. Rose spun around quickly, her free hand moving to grasp the gun tucked into the back of her jeans. The Doctor stood leaning against the door frame, watching Rose closely. Her chest was rising and falling quickly with her almost panicked breaths and her eyes were wide and very alert. She was clearly in fight or flight mode.

Rose's heart pounded in her chest as she released her grip on her gun and brought her hand back around in front of her. She took a deep breath and forced herself to relax. She could see the questions burning in his eyes, questions she preyed he wouldn't ask. After a few tense silent moments he spoke.

"Can't knick something that belongs to me." he stated, deciding to save his questions for another time. He was beginning to recognize some of Rose's behavior to be symptoms of something he didn't want her to have. He pushed off of the door frame and moved toward her. Rose held out the sonic to him, her outstretched arm effectively forcing him to come to a stop at arms length. She was on guard right now, still trying to calm herself down, and did not want anyone touching her.

He took the sonic screwdriver from her hand and slipped it into the pocket of the hoodie he was wearing. His gaze moved around the room, taking in the space that had been Rose's during her time here. The room was, for lack of a better word, boring. Neutral bland colors and white wood furniture. The only thing with color was the violet duvet draped over the queen sized bed, but even that looked barely used.

"Got everything you'll need?" Rose asked him, trying to distract him from any questions he may come up with pertaining to the lack of her personality in the room. His dark brown eyes moved to hers, searching her face for a moment. He was cataloging everything he was seeing, his still very Time Lord brain filing it away to be examined more closely later. He smiled slowly and nodded, deciding that cheerful was the best way to go for now.

"Yep." he answered, popping the 'p' in that way that's simply . . the Doctor. Rose's heart did another little skip at the familiar sound and she found herself smiling back at him.

"Good. If it's alright with you. . . I think I'd like to leave for Cardiff later today." Rose told him, glancing over at her little brother as he began squeaking the rubber duck excessively. "Just need to let Dad know." she added when the Doctor nodded his consent.

"I'll tell 'em. . . but you two are stayin' for dinner at least." Jackie stated as she stood and headed toward the door, carrying Tony on her hip. Rose and the Doctor stood in awkward silence for a moment, listening to the duck squeaking all the way down the hall.

Rose shifted her weight from one foot to the other, growing a little uncomfortable under the Doctor's scrutiny. She looked away, her eyes coming to rest on the box of his belongings. Of all the things in the box that should have raised questions, she couldn't think of anything to say. She heard him inhale sharply and glanced up at him worriedly. His eyes were fixed on the scar on her forearm.

"Rose. . ." he started, tearing his eyes from the scar to hers, searching for answers. "You were hurt?"

Rose laughed mirthlessly and glanced down at the scar. "Hurt?. . . This one wasn't too bad actually." she stated matter-of-factly. She stepped forward and moved past him toward the doorway. He turned and watched her pick up the two black duffle bags. He opened his mouth to ask another question, but snapped it shut when she cut him off. "Let's go. . . we need to load our stuff into my car." her voice was flat and slightly angry.

The Doctor swallowed thickly, feeling a wave of guilt crashing over him. Everything she'd been through, everything that she'd had to do, and the way she was suffering even now was his fault. He silently retrieved his suit from the closet and the box of his belongings and followed her out of the room, neither of them pausing to look back at the now vacant room.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks for reading and I hope you guys are enjoying the story. I don't own anything you may recognize from Doctor Who or Torchwood. Please remember to leave me a review :)**

Rose made her way down the grand staircase and into the foyer, the Doctor followed a few paces behind her with a thoughtful expression on his face. She felt a little guilty for snapping at him but it was better than revisiting the memories behind the scars. She dropped her bags clumsily by the main entrance and retrieved her car keys from a hook on the wall to the left of the door. A slow smile slipped across the Doctor's face when he noticed her small keychain. It was a small delicate cluster of silver stars and planets dangling on very thin chains of different lengths. It tinkled softly with her movements as she opened the large door and picked up one of her bags.

"I'll pull the car 'round to the front. Just... wait here, yeah?" she said in a soft voice. She glanced back at him looking a bit unsure so he gave her a reassuring smile. He was rewarded with a small smile and nod from her before she turned and left through the open door. The Doctor sat his box of belongings down onto the polished marble floor and shrugged out of Mickey's black hoodie. After removing his sonic screwdriver and folding it neatly, he placed it beside the box and pulled his blue suit jacket off of the hanger. He removed the lid from the box and stared at the contents. This was it. . . all of his worldly belongings. His mind drifted back to the vast array of items stored throughout his TARDIS, things he had collected over his very long life, and while he never considered himself to be materialistic he was certainly missing all his things now. However, he missed his TARDIS most. Her absence left him feeling as though he was no longer a whole being. He groaned and shook his head, willing away the crushing emptiness as he began stuffing his meager belongings back into the jacket's trans-dimensional pockets.

The sound of a car engine and the opening and shutting of the vehicle's door told him that Rose had returned. He steeled himself to appear as 'okay' as possible. She entered to find him elbow deep into one of the jacket pockets, brows furrowed, mouth open, and tongue pressing to the back of his top teeth. It was an odd sight, but what really startled her was the way he looked in a jumper, his arms bare and his lightly defined chest and shoulders apparent beneath the thin fabric. She swallowed thickly and looked away as he donned the suit jacket over the printed shirt. She'd seen him in less before, when she had changed him into pajamas after his regeneration, but she'd been to worried and anxious to pay much attention. He was currently wearing a lot of blue in different shades, except for his red trainers, but he somehow made it look alright. He made everything look alright. She picked up her other bag and he followed her outside to her car, carrying only his suit pants and Mickey's hoodie.

_'Suppose it belongs to the Doctor now. . .' _Rose thought to herself. He let out a long whistle when he saw the automobile parked in the drive, clearly pleased with her choice of transportation. It was a sleek black Mercedes CLA250, it's elegant lines and dark tented windows gave it a fluid and almost sensual allure.

"Your car?" he asked, eyebrows raised and hand running through his disheveled hair. She smiled fondly at the car and nodded.

"Yeah. . . And can you believe I actually paid for it all by myself." She responded with her brilliant tongue touched grin. His breath caught in this throat at the sight of her smile. He grinned back at her and laughed lightly.

"You never cease to amaze me, Rose. . . Just look at that!" he exclaimed, holding his arms out toward the car. "I'm so glad it's not one of those little compact poor excuses for a car. My long. . . very manly legs wouldn't fit in one of those. " he added, walking over and placing his suit pants on top of her first bag in the spacious trunk. Rose imagined him folded up inside a tiny car and tried to hide her amused smirk. Someone cleared their throat softly from behind them. They turned to find Pamela standing there with a large blue suitcase and several suits in dry cleaner bags.

"Sir, I've packed your purchases for you." she told the Doctor, with a small bow of her head. Loose strands of her dark hair fell around her small heart-shaped face, framing it beautifully.

"Thanks Pamela." Rose responded with a kind smile. She really liked the maid and had spent a lot of time helping her do household chores in an effort to stay busy on the days she'd been practically forced to take off from work. Pamela smiled back with a cute wink then left to help Jackie prepare dinner. The rich aromas were already drifting through the air, making everyone but Rose look forward to the food. Jackie's cooking had gotten exponentially better during her time in this universe. Rose figured she was trying to impress her new husband, or prove that she didn't need a hired cook. The Doctor lifted the large suitcase and suits and placed them carefully into the trunk. He turned and grasped Rose's last bag but she stopped him abruptly.

"No!" she said, taking the bag from his hands and backing away. Her voice betrayed her, giving away the burst of anxiousness she felt and her body language was tense. "I-I. . need this one inside. . with me." she added, opening the back door and placing the bag onto the leather seat. The Doctor closed the trunk and watched her closely, trying to work out some answer to all of the questions swirling through his mind. Rose met his gaze warily, her eyes pleading with him to let it go. She was no longer the Rose Tyler he knew. . . he'd have to realize that or she'd have to teach him, either way things would never really be the same for them. They had to move forward from here and that thought justified, in her mind at least, why there was no point in examining her recent past.

She let out a slow breath that she didn't realize she'd been holding when Pete called from the front door, asking to speak with them. They headed back inside and followed Pete toward his office located in the back portion of the mansion. It's placement was sort of. . out of the way, effectively separating work from home life. Once inside the office, a spacious room with large windows, lots of rich textures, mahogany, and cluttered with important business paraphernalia, they sat down in the worn leather armchairs and Pete got straight to the point.

"Doctor, I'm sure you realize you will need legal documentation if you plan to live and work comfortably. I'll need to get some information from you to have them made up." he said as he pushed a pair of reading glasses onto his face and picked up a pen. Rose settled into her chair across from Pete, seeming uneasy and glanced at the Doctor. He nodded at Pete and tugged at his ear. Rose caught the movement and knew it was a nervous tick of his. She was beginning to worry that the reality of all of this, being stuck in one time and on one planet. . . being normal, would come crashing down on him soon.

Making an identity for himself was one thing, he'd done it often enough, but putting it down for permanent documentation to secure his place in this world was another. It made him uneasy and left him wishing he could run away from the finality of it. His gaze shifted to Rose, she was sitting stiffly in the chair next to him and staring down at her trainers. What exactly had happened to his happy and carefree, pink and yellow human?

He pushed his uneasiness down and focused his musings on her. Though she may not know it right now, she needed him just as much as he needed her. It would take time and it wouldn't be easy but they would be okay. They were the Doctor and Rose Tyler. . . The Stuff of Legends. She'd saved him countless times, from physical danger and from himself and she'd overcome the impossible to get back to him. Even if this isn't exactly the 'him' she'd been searching for, she was trying and that was more than he could've hoped for. He'd spend the rest of his human life trying to be everything she needed. . . .everything she deserved.

"What name do you want to go by? Make sure it's a believable name." Pete pulled a notepad out of his desk drawer and got ready to write down the Doctor's responses.

"John Smith. . . I've used it before, should be alright." the Doctor answered with a shrug. Rose shook her head and leaned forward in her chair.

"No, that's obviously an alias. . . It needs more to be believable." she stated, furrowing her thin brows as she thought. "What about Jonathan?" she asked, looking over at the Doctor.

"Jonathan. . . David. . um . ." the Doctor's brow furrowed as he pondered. He wanted a name that had meaning to him. He smiled sadly as he decided. "Jonathan David Noble." Pete nodded and scribbled it down in his small messy handwriting and Rose reached over and gave his hand an affectionate squeeze. She knew why he'd pick Noble, but not why he had the faraway sad look when he spoke the name. Donna had been right as rain last time Rose saw her.

"Age. . . maybe. . . 40?" Pete asked, looking up at the Doctor over his specs. Rose and the Doctor both snorted in laughter, causing him to arch his eyebrow questioningly at them.

"I'm over 900 years old, Pete . . . but sure. . . we'll say 40." the Doctor answered with a grin.

"Right. . . Well then. . Place of birth?" Pete continued, wanting to hurry so they could get to dinner. The smells of the food that he knew was currently being set out on the large table had his mouth watering.

"I really liked when you had that Scottish accent. . . maybe from there?" Rose suggested, giving him a small teasing smile. The Doctor hummed in approval, his eyes drifting over her face.

"Aye. Edinburgh . . . Good schools and rich culture." the Doctor responded, slipping easily into his rich Scottish accent. A slow smile spread across Rose's face as he waggled his eyebrows at her. She giggled and Pete cleared his throat.

"One more question. . . I know from Rose's stories that your a man of many talents and vast knowledge. . . I could arrange for you to take the tests to receive your doctorates in whatever fields you want." Pete finished, leaning back in his large leather chair. "Not everyone will just take your word for it." he added, rubbing his eye beneath his glasses.

"Sounds good. . . I'll go with physics and medicine." the Doctor answered, looking out the window thoughtfully. He was beginning to think that getting a job as a teacher or professor would be satisfactory, and at the very least he could work as an actual doctor, hell maybe both.

"Right. Now let's get to the table. I'm starved and I'm sure Jacks doesn't want to wait around all day." Pete said, standing from the desk and walking over to the door. "Also, after dinner I'll make the calls and have your flat ready by the time you arrive in Cardiff this afternoon."

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	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Still don't own anything you'll recognize from Doctor Who or Torchwood. . . also the creature idea comes from artwork by Nicholasgwee on . . . Here is the link if you want to take a look. ( art/creature-character-332692312 ) Please review and most of all. . Enjoy! Oh, maybe slight warning in this chapter for violence, gore, and PTSD.**

The Tyler family, plus one half human Time Lord, sat down to a dinner that would usually be reserved for Christmas or similar holidays. Jackie had really given it her all, using her distress at Rose's departure as the fuel for her cooking frenzy. She sat at Pete's right side, near the head of the large mahogany table, feeding potatoes to Tony and looking calm and resigned. The dinner passed rather quietly, other than the occasional excited outburst from Tony or instruction from Pete to Rose in regards to her upcoming position at Torchwood 3. Jackie reminded Rose that, being the Vitex Heiress, she was still expected to attend an upcoming very large and very formal dinner party hosted by the Vitex Corporation. She fixed the Doctor with a pointed look, letting him know, without a doubt, that he wasn't squirming his way out of attending. Rose sighed and took a bite of the sliced turkey on her fork.

The media had gone crazy when Rose and her mother had mysteriously arrived back at the Tyler mansion. They'd made up a story about Jackie leaving the country in secret to be with their daughter, who had been living a quiet life until she came of age to be presented as the Vitex Heiress. Of course there had been suspicion and rumors, but after a while everything had died down. After about a year of stalking, the paparazzi had deemed Rose Tyler to be quite boring and a bit reclusive. However, she was still Pete Tyler's eldest daughter and an heir to the Vitex Corporation, making her important enough to have to show her smiling face at formal events and support her father.

_'At least now. . . I won't suffer alone.'_ she thought, giving the Doctor an amused look.

After dinner they congregated outside around Rose's packed car. Rose held Tony on her hip as he clung to her with his little arms and legs. Rose pressed a kiss into his soft red hair and he lifted his small head to look at her face. The Doctor stood next to her leaning back against the side of her car, watching her interact with the child, and was a little surprised when he heard her start to sing softly. He'd never heard Rose sing before, but was very pleased to learn that she had a lovely voice.

_"You are my sunshine. . My only sunshine. You make me happy, when skies are grey. You'll never know, dear, how much I love you." _she stopped singing and smiled at her little brother.

"_No shushine awaaayy." _Tony bashfully tried to finish the song, causing everyone to laugh. Rose kissed him several times all over his face until the little boy grew irritated and pushed away. She laughed and handed the squirming toddler back to her mother.

"Be safe, Sweetheart." Pete said softly, pulling Rose close and kissing her head. "Doctor. . . Good luck." he added, reaching out to shake his hand. The Doctor grasped his hand tightly and smiled.

"And take care of my little girl, ya hear? Don't you forget that promise you made me." Jackie cut in, moving in to give him a kiss which the Doctor quickly ducked to the side to avoid while muttering under his breath. Jackie gave him a stern look when she caught the words '_alien germs'_.

"You have my word Jackie. Rose's happiness and safety always has and will always be my number one priority." the Doctor reassured her, shoving his hands into his jean pockets and meeting her eyes with a look of sincerity. After a moment Jackie nodded, knowing already that she could trust him. She just liked to tease him whenever possible. She gave Rose a long tight hug and several kisses until Tony complained about being squashed between the two Tyler women. Rose walked around to the driver side and opened the door.

"I'll call when we get there. Love you." Rose told them as she slipped into the driver's seat and put her key into the ignition. The Doctor slid into the passanger seat as the car cranked, and adjusted the seat to slide back so that he had plenty of leg room. He looked over as Rose reached behind her and pulled a black 9mm handgun from the waistband of her jeans. He felt a wave of negative emotions and questions wash through him as he watched her handle it with almost intimate fimiliarity and place it into the storage compartment between their seats.

"Rose. . . a gun? Really?" he asked, his voice almost pleading. She looked at him for a long moment, considering her words.

"I know how you feel about guns, Doctor. And I'm sorry. . . but sometimes they are necessary. I'd rather be safe than sorry." she answered, looking ahead and putting the car into drive and pulling out of the drive. The air between them was heavy and a little uncomfortable, causing both of them to feel tense. The Doctor decided to try to break the ice by telling her some stories, the best way to put his gob to use and possibly get a smile out of his pink and yellow girl.

"Soooo. . . an earth hospital transported to the moon with all of the patients inside, rhino police, and Martha Jones." he said, trying to sound nonchalant. He grinned when he saw a slow smile creeping onto Rose's face. "Interested?" he prodded, arching his eyebrow and settling back in his seat.

"Yeah, course I am." she replied, relaxing and feeling relieved. The Doctor happily told her not only that story, but several other memorable adventures with Martha. He was glad to see that, as he spoke, she seemed to become open and livelier than he'd seen her yet. Two hours had passed while they chatted before he stopped. He needed answers from Rose, and now that she seemed to be in a much better mood, he figured now would be the best time to ask his question.

"Will you tell me how you got that scar?" he asked, trying to keep his voice light. She glanced at him quickly, taking in his open and curious face, and pressed her lips into a thin line. She knew he meant well, and that if they were going to build a life together then the truth would have to come out eventually. She didn't want to go into detail or tell him about all of the things that had happened to her over the past few years. She couldn't handle all of it at once. After another glance at him, she fixed her gaze on the road and sighed. She'd give him the basic details now and hope he didn't ask for more until later. . . much much later.

"There was this alien, about a year back, that was taking children from all over Wales. It took us a week to track it down. It was an ugly thing. . . bright red shell . . . long body of a centipede, torso like a man, head like a. . . i dunno. . a scorpion maybe. S' really weird. . anyway, we found it and tried to capture it. I got stabbed in the arm with one of its tail spikes. We got it though." She tightened her hand on the steering wheel and glanced over at him, hoping he'd accept this short version and let it go. She didn't want to tell him how two members of her team had been twisted and ripped apart right in front of her or how she hadn't been able to save any of the children. She didn't want to tell him how she'd failed to protect any of them and how she still had nightmares about that day. She didn't want him to know that she still heard the clacking sound of the creature's many spiky legs walking toward her across the old wooden floor or that she can still see the look of her team mates' faces as their bodies were being pulled apart. Their eyes wide with terror and fixed on her, as if she could do something to save them from the pain.

"What happened to it?" he asked softly. He knew she was holding back a great deal of information, but he wouldn't pressure her into telling him. Already her pulse was elevated and she was gripping the steering wheel so tight that her knuckles were white. She took a moment, breathing slowly and deeply to calm herself, before responding.

"It died. We didn't know what it was or how to communicate with it." she answered flatly. That answer was better than the truth. That, after removing the spike that pierced her arm and pinned her to the wall, she'd escaped and burned the warehouse and everything in it to the ground. She'd returned to Torchwood alone feeling both hollow and, in a sick kind of way, satisfied that the creature had died.

The Doctor swallowed thickly, fighting the urge to beg her for the whole story. This was something that she'd have to open up about when she felt ready, he couldn't force it without the risk of making her PTSD much worse. Her phone vibrating loudly in the cupholder between them effectively distracted both of them. The Doctor picked it up and looked at the screen. A picture of Pete, giving thumbs up and a big grin, appeared on the screen.

"Hello Pete." the Doctor greeted, putting it on speaker phone.

"Hello. Just letting you know that the flat is furnished, stocked, and ready for the two of you when you arrive. I'll text the address to you." Pete's voice stated from the thin smartphone.

"Thanks Dad. . . for everything." Rose said affectionately.

"Course Rose. Take care. Call if you need me." he responded before ending the call.

Two minutes later the text message came through and the Doctor keyed it in to the GPS. For the rest of the ride the Doctor told Rose a few stories about Donna, hoping to get her spirits back up before they arrived a their new home. Thankfully, it worked. As they parked the car 45 minutes later, she was smiling and teasing him about how Donna wasn't effected by his flirting, not that he'd ever flirted with Donna. He'd never do that.

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Rose fished the key from her pocket as they approached the door the their flat. An attractive woman with dark hair, freckleds, and bright attentive eyes had met them in the parking lot and handed over the keys and paper work for their flat. Rose had introduced her as Gwen Cooper, an agent from Torchwood 3 and friend. Gwen lived close by in a flat with her boyfriend Rhys and the Doctor decided that he liked Gwen. She reminded him of someone he'd met a while back, but he didn't voice his musings.

She pushed the door open and walked in carrying her bags as the Doctor followed her inside with his belongings. He looked around, taking in the surroundings and hummed in approval. The flat had a very spacious and open floor plan. The far wall of the kitchen was made of tall clear windows that showed a wonderful view of the sun setting over Cardiff. The kitchen itself was beautiful with polished stone marble countertops, rich brown wooden cabinets, stainless steel appliances, and wine red accents. An arrangement of delicate red and orange flowers sat in the middle of the small round dining room table that sat next to the large windows facing the city.

The living room consisted of a large plush black sectional sofa that marked off the space, a large flat screen TV mounted on the wall in front of the sofa and a glass top coffee table conveniently placed in front of the sofa. The dark hardwood floor continued into the living room from the kitchen, tying the whole space together nicely. Several bookcases stood against the far wall of the living room with a very comfortable looking armchair and tall reading lamp placed in the corner next to them. The bookcases were mostly empty, a problem that the Doctor looked forward to fixing. He was already thinking of all the wonderful books he could cram into the shelves.

"Dad really outdid himself, yeah?" Rose muttered, looking around with a pleased expression. "Think you'll be comfortable enough here?" she asked, looking at him with concern. He laughed, catching her completely off guard.

"Of course Rose. Why wouldn't I be?" he asked with a smile, putting his suitcase down onto the floor and draping his suits over the back of the sofa. He turned to her expectantly, waiting for her answer.

"Well. . . I don't know. Just thought you wouldn't like it . . . being so domestic. Makes it kind of real doesn't it?" she asked, hitting the nail on the head. Rose always knew exactly what to say.

Several emotions flashed over his face. Nervousness, irritation, sadness, worry . . . but he pulled himself together so quickly that Rose almost thought she'd imagined it. Almost. He inhaled deeply and ran his hand backward through his hair, letting his hand come to a rest on the back of his neck. He looked at her for a long moment, his gaze intense and thoughtful. He moved toward her and reached for her hand, moving slowly enough that she had plenty of time to realize what he was doing and move away if she didn't want it. She didn't stop him. He grasped her hand and brought it up to place her palm against his chest. They stood quietly for a moment and she focused on his single heart, beating strongly against her hand. He kept his hand over hers, holding it against his heart as he spoke. His voice was low and it sent a shiver down her spine.

"I don't know what your thinking, or how your feeling. I don't know what you've been through or what will happen for us next. I do know, however, that I'm here now. I know that, as long as you'll have me, I won't leave your side. Rose Tyler. . ." he paused, and waited for her to look him in the eyes. When she did, he moved a step closer to her and wrapped his arms around her tightly. She melted into his embrace and inhaled deeply, savoring his scent. Beneath the smell of average male soap there was a faint unique, almost spicy, scent that she had grown accustomed to while traveling in the TARDIS. It was the smell of the time ship, the smell of space and time itself. Her heart swelled in her chest as a feeling of finally coming home came over her.

"I meant everything I said on the beach Rose. Every word of it." he a muttered into her hair, holding her close. She wrapped her arms around his waist and grasped the back of his jacket. She ducked her head and pressed her cheek and ear to his chest to hide the tears that stung her eyes. They stayed like that for a long while, both of them needing comfort from the tormenting thoughts neither of them would voice. Finally, Rose pulled back and he let her.

"I've got a lot to do tomorrow. . . so do you. We should probably call it a night." she said letting her arms fall to her sides and looking up at him.

"Right. . . I suppose." he responded, trying to keep the disappointment from his voice. Rose held his gaze for a moment then she reached up with both hands and cupped his face, feeling the light stubble on his cheeks and chin beneath her fingertips.

"Doctor . . . It'll be okay. We'll be okay . . . Do you believe that?" she asked, her eyes searching his. He did believe that, he only hoped that believing it was enough to make it true.

"Yes." he answered softly, leaning his face into her palm. Rose raised up on her tip toes and pressed her lips to his. It wasn't an intense kiss like before. It was a soft, comforting, and chaste kiss that took him by surprise. She dropped back down and took a step back. She gave him a small smile and turned to pick up her bags from the floor. He watched as she walked toward the hallway that branched off from the living room. Just before entering the hall, she turned and looked back at him.

"Good night Doctor." she said, reminding him of the way she'd always say goodnight to him before going to her room in the TARDIS.

"Good night Rose." he answered, shoving his hands into his jean pockets and watching as she continued down the hall.

Rose looked back and forth between the two doors in the hallway. She shrugged and decided to take the room on the left. Luckily it was the master bedroom, with a large king sized bed draped in a thick black duvet with lots of pillows, white carpet, black wood furniture, and a beautiful watercolor painting of moonlit night and elegant ghostly trees hanging above the bed. She sat her bags at the foot of the bed and sighed. She pulled off her trainers, turned off the light, and climbed onto the bed. Sounds drifted into the room, letting her know that the Doctor was likely mucking about and investigating the kitchen appliances. She slowly divested herself of her clothing and slid beneath the thick blanket. Tomorrow would be her first day as head of Torchwood and she was actually looking forward to it. She lay there for a moment, just staring into the darkness and thinking, before letting herself relax and drift off to sleep.

The Doctor removed his jacket and draped it over one of the chairs in the kitchen. He walked slowly over to the large windows and looked out. The sun had set and the sky was dark. He stared up at the few glittering stars he could make out over the glowing city, an intense yearning building up inside his chest. It hit him then, the realization that he'd never again travel amongst the stars. He'd lost all of space and time and it left him feeling empty. He pressed his hand and forehead against the glass, closing his eyes tightly against the feeling of the walls closing in on him. He knew he had to be strong, that he could do this. . . he knew that, but at that moment he felt nothing stronger than the urge to run. He pushed away from the window, grabbed his jacket, slid it back on, and quietly left the flat.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Still don't own anything from Doctor Who or Torchwood. Thanks so much for reading! :)**

Rose bolted upright in bed, breathing heavily and trembling. A sheen of cold sweat glistened across her skin as the last remnants of her nightmare slipped away, leaving her feeling hollow and afraid. She scrubbed her hands through her hair and let out a long suffering sigh. Pushing the duvet back, she slipped out of the bed and padded into the ensuite attached to her room. It was spacious with black marble floor, a large tub, walk-in shower, and his and her sinks. Wide mirrors wrapped around the walls surrounding the tub, making the room seem a little bigger than it actually was.

She used the loo, washed her hands and face in the sink, then went back to her room. After finding a cotton vest and a pair of sleeping shorts in her bag, she slipped into them and left her room. It was just after midnight, she was exhausted but wanted some tea and to relax enough to maybe get another hour or two of sleep. She walked quietly over to the second bedroom door, it was cracked open with the light on. Peeking inside, she saw the Doctor's suitcase and suits laying on the bed but he wasn't in the room.

_'He must still be up. . ' _she thought, shrugging and walking toward the living room. She walked around the flat and her heart fell as she quickly discovered that she was alone. The Doctor was no where to be seen. He had seemed fine before she left him and hadn't said anything about leaving. She felt a hard lump forming in her throat as thoughts of abandonment began swirling through her mind. He'd promised her that he would stay with her, but he was gone.

She moved around the kitchen methodically, preparing tea and trying to tamp down the intense sadness and anger that was welling up inside her. She found clean glass mugs in the cabinet above the stove and pulled one down. She frowned and looked at it, watching her hand tremble as she held it. She knew this would end up being to much for him. She knew that the reality of the life he faced would catch up to him. How could he promise her that he'd stay and then run away? Her heart ached as her anger flared. This half human Doctor was certainly still the same man as the fully Time Lord Doctor. She realized that now. He'd left her now just as the other had left her on that beach. Without a good-bye. She angrily hurled the mug at the front door of the flat, tears welling up in her eyes.

The mug shattered loudly against the door as it began to open. Rose let out a small sob as the Doctor entered, a very surprised and worried expression on his face. He stepped over the broken glass and shut the door softly behind him. Glancing down at the broken mug, he arched his brow and met Rose's gaze.

"Rose what's wrong? What -" he paused, as Rose quickly made her way over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She held him tight and buried her face into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, not really knowing what to say or do.

"I. . I thought you left me again." she whispered hoarsely against his jacket. His arms tightened around her as understanding dawned on him. He'd left without a word and wasn't there when she awoke, of course she would think that. He had a record of leaving without good-byes and Rose knew that very well. It would take time to earn her trust on this. It would take time for her to really believe that he wouldn't . . couldn't leave her.

"I'm sorry, Rose. I just went for a walk. . . needed some air and time to think. I shouldn't have slipped out like that." he said softly, putting his finger under her chin and lifting her face to look in her eyes. "I'm not ever gonna leave you." he added, echoing her own words from so long ago back to her. Rose sniffled, gave him a small watery smile and stepped back out of his arms.

"You better not. . ." she said before turning and heading back into the kitchen. She pulled down two more mugs and prepared tea for them. She put a LOT of sugar in the Doctor's cup and only half that amount in hers. He walked into the kitchen, holding the pieces of broken glass gingerly.

"Sorry 'bout that." she muttered, looking at him sheepishly as he dumped the glass into the trash bin.

"Nah, no worries." he responded with a smile as she handed him his cup of tea. He took as small sip of it and hummed in pleasure. "You remembered." he stated, his smile growing bigger, his warm eyes regarding her with affection.

"Yeah, course I did." she told him, raising her own cup to her lips.

"What are you doing up now anyway?" he asked, leaning back against the counter and relaxing.

"I um. . . had a nightmare." she answered softly, looking away to avoid his gaze. He watched her as she fidgeted uncomfortably and finished her tea quickly. After a little more small talk, they said good night and headed to their separate rooms. Once in her room with the door closed, Rose removed the second 9mm handgun from her duffel bag and placed it under her pillow. She crawled back into bed and sighed. It was at least half an hour later when sleep finally claimed her.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo ~The Next Morning~

The Doctor turned from side to side, eyeing himself in the full length mirror attached to his closet door. He had dressed in one of his new suits, the familiar brown and pinstripes making him feel a little more at ease. He'd layered a dark blue oxford and white jumper underneath and put on the new white chucks. He bounced on his toes a few times, flexing the new shoes and thinking how he missed his more comfortable worn ones, then leaned forward to study his hair in the mirror. He pushed his fingers through it, artfully musing it around, then turned and surveyed the room.

The room wasn't really anything special. He was sure that he felt the room was a lot smaller than it actually was. A queen sized bed in one corner, a nightstand with a short reading lamp, a tall dresser standing next to the closet door, a wooden desk and white carpet. The whole room was decorated with soothing shades of blues and greens, and sunlight filtered softly in through the sheer white curtains hanging over the lone window. When he'd first opened his eyes this morning, it had taken him a few seconds to remember why he wasn't waking up in his TARDIS. It had taken him a few minutes to push the anxiety and sadness down enough to get up and face the day.

Giving himself a little mental pep-talk about starting this new life off on the right foot, he picked up his sonic screwdriver and slipped it into the inside breast pocket of his jacket. He knew that Rose was supposed to go into Torchwood 3 today to get started in her new position, but he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do yet. Surely she would know, he just had to find her and ask.

Leaving the room, he made his way into the living room and came to a stop just inside the room. His dark eyes found Rose and a small smirk found it's way onto his face. She was wearing tight dark jeans, boots, and a wine red silk blouse that hugged her curves nicely. He watched as she moved easily around the kitchen, preparing breakfast for them and talking on her mobile phone. She held it against her shoulder with the side of her head as she spread jam over a toasted bagel and spoke softly. His eyes followed her hand as she brought it up to her mouth to lick off a bit of jam that had dripped onto her fingers.

Some very naughty thoughts began to form in his mind as he watched her suck lightly on her fingers, his eyes darkening with desire. This human body reacted much more intensely to her than his fully Time Lord one had. He'd always been able to keep his thoughts and hormones under control before, but now that control was history.

"Okay. . yeah. Thanks Dad. . . You too." Rose said, removing the phone from her shoulder and hanging up. She glanced up and caught sight of the Doctor standing in the entry to the hallway, leaning casually against the wall and watching her with a dark hungry expression. Her heart stuttered in her chest and she forgot how to breath. Seeing this Doctor wearing that familiar brown suit and looking at her with such open desire caught her completely off guard.

"Hello." the Doctor greeted, his voice deep and seductive.

"H-Hello." she responded, stuttering a little as she watched him push off from the wall and saunter over to her. She turned to face him, leaning back against the counter, as he came to a stop just in front of her. He held her gaze for a moment before his eyes drifted down to her lips. Rose felt her her heart speed up as he reached toward her, but at the last second his hand went past her.

"Mine?" he asked. His voice was low and he was standing so close their chests almost touched. Rose watched as he lifted the jam covered bagel up between them. She sighed and gave herself a mental shake.

"Yep." she responded, slipping from between him and the counter and grabbing the other bagel.

"Dad called. He's made an appointment for you at the University here to take your tests today. We'll need to go in to Torchwood first to get your identification documents from Tosh before you go though." Rose informed him as she made her way over to the small round dining table. He joined her and they ate their bagels in companionable silence.

Afterward, they locked up the flat and made their way down to the car. It was a short drive and soon they were standing on the invisible lift that would take them down into the Torchwood 3 hub. Rose slipped her hand into his, lacing their fingers together, as the lift began to descend. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and shifted to stand as close to her as he could. The lift fell slowly, giving them time to look around at the large hub. Much to the Doctor's amusement and surprise, a pterodactyl flew by them, screeching loudly before landing on a metal beam high above their heads.

"Was that a-"

"Pterodactyl? Yeah, name's Myfanwy. . . Ianto's pet." Rose informed him, grinning at his baffled expression. "It came through the rift and now lives here. Kind of a mascot for Torchwood 3. . . it likes chocolate." she added. As the lift came to a halt, four people came to meet them.

"Doctor. . " Rose began, stepping down from the lift and moving to stand in front of the four Torchwood agents. "You've met Gwen Cooper." she said, nodding at Gwen and offering her a smile. Gwen smiled widely and gave them a small salute.

"This Toshiko Sato... she handles everything technical and is absolutely brilliant." Rose explained, causing the asian woman to smile bashfully as she extended a hand to the Doctor.

"Oh I do love brilliant people." the Doctor said, shaking her hand and giving her a charming grin.

"This is Ianto Jones. He does a little bit of everything and keeps this place in tip-top shape." she continued, waving her hand toward a dark haired, fair skinned young man with a kind face and warm eyes. He was dressed in a nice suit and gave the Doctor a respectful nod. They had all heard enough stories about the Doctor from Rose and Mickey to know that he was someone to be taken seriously and respected.

"Hello there, Ianto. Nice name, that. Ianto. . . A little unusual, but the best ones always are." the Doctor greeted cheerily, shaking the young man's hand in a firm grip. "Oh, and I think your Myfanwy is fantastic!" he added, beaming.

"Thank you Doctor. It's a pleasure to finally meet the man behind the stories." Ianto replied, smiling and glancing up to where the pterodactyl sat.

"And this. . ." Rose said, directing the Doctor's attention to a thin man wearing a white lab coat. He had short dark hair, intense brown eyes, and an air of self-importance about him. "This is Doctor Owen Harper. Medical doctor for Torchwood 3. . he also handles alien autopsies when needed." she finished, letting go of the Doctor's hand.

"Hello again, babe. I see you just couldn't resist coming back to see me. . ." Owen said to Rose, with a flirtatious sly grin as he moved to hug her. Rose absently slapped his hands away and shot him an irritated look.

"Don't start that again, Owen. We've talked about this." Rose replied, turning to Tosh. The Doctor eyed Owen warily and decided he didn't really care for the man who was openly flirting with his Rose. He smirked to himself at that thought. His Rose.

"Tosh, Dad said you'd have the Doctor's documents ready?" Rose asked, following Tosh up the steps and over to her work station. The Doctor came up to stand just behind Rose and hummed with amusement at Tosh's many computer screens and equipment. The asian woman shuffled papers around on her desk and lifted up a brown paper envelope.

"It's all right here. Birth Certificate, Passport, brief family history with documentations, and Driver's License." Tosh explained, handing the envelope to the Doctor.

"Thank you, Toshiko. Never had any of those before . . . " the Doctor said, opening the envelope and peeking inside. All of the documents looked very authentic and he was impressed.

"Just doin' my job." she said dismissively, waving her hand in the air and turning back to her computer screens. Owen walked past them, slowing enough to give the Doctor a curt nod and wink at Rose, then headed down the steps into his medical lab. Ianto had busied himself making coffee and Gwen stood next to the door that led to Mickey's old office. She was going to help Rose go through Mickey's case files and get settled in.

"Right. . . You head on over to the University and get those tests done." Rose said to the Doctor, digging into her jean pocket and pulling out some cash. She grasped his hand and placed the bills into his open palm. "For the cab and food later." she added when he furrowed his brow and frowned at the money.

He turned and began walking back toward the lift, but paused when he heard Rose call his name softly. He turned and looked back at her, not wanting to leave her side. She gave him a reassuring smile and a knowing look.

"Good luck. . . I'll see you at home, yeah?" she asked, speaking those words to him felt so strange but excited her nonetheless.

"Yeah. See you tonight, Rose." he answered, returning her smile and stepping onto the lift. Rose stood still, watching him watch her as the lift rose up until he was out of sight. She sighed deeply, telling herself that he'd be okay on his own and he'd come home later, trying to convince herself that everything would be alright. However, she couldn't stamp out the lingering doubt that tugged at the back of her mind.

"Rose? You ready?" Gwen called from her spot by the office door. Rose nodded, pushing away the thoughts so that she could focus on what needed to be done today. Going through Mickey's things and taking over his space was going to be heartbreaking, but it was part of moving on and she had to be strong. She looked at the office door, squared her shoulders, and walked toward Gwen purposefully.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOOoOoOoOOoOo


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Okay, as always I don't own anything Doctor Who or Torchwood. . . Also the next chapter will have a strong warning for triggers (violence/blood/trauma/gore/death) if you don't like reading that stuff you can skip it. Thanks for taking the time to read :D**

After a long day of tediously going through case files, sorting alien tech, cleaning, and packing away Mickey's belongings from the office, Rose sighed heavily and sat down on top of the wide oak desk. She looked around at the almost spotless office and smiled to herself. Yes, working for Torchwood was dangerous and not for the faint of heart but she'd never leave it. This is what she was good at.

She pushed herself off of the desk and glanced at the clock hanging on the wall in front of her. It was getting late and everyone but Tosh had already left for home. Leaving the office and clicking the door shut behind her, she made her way down to where Tosh stood observing some graphs on her largest computer screen. Rose watched her for a moment, peering at the screen and scribbling onto a note pad in her hand.

"You always work this late, Tosh?" Rose asked, coming to stand next to the busy agent. She glanced at Rose, seeming a little surprised, and smiled.

"Oh! Rose. . Thought everyone was gone already." she said, giggling softly. "Yeah . . . Don't really have a reason to head home." Tosh added as her smile failed a little. She looked back to her computer screen and cleared her throat nervously. Rose reached over and gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"Just don't over do it, yeah?" Rose told her, tilting her head to the side to meet Tosh's eyes. "See you tomorrow."

Tosh smiled and nodded, then continued with her work. Rose walked down to the lift, her body feeling slow and heavy from exhaustion. She tried to never appear as worn out as she felt, but it was a task that was becoming more and more impossible. She knew, at this rate, it wouldn't be long before she just collapsed. The lack of sound sleep and a healthy diet was really beginning to affect her. She stepped up onto the lift, thinking of the bed that waited for her at her flat with both longing and dread.

As the lift rose, her thoughts drifted to the Doctor. He had left that morning to go to the University for testing. She had complete faith that he would pass the tests with flying colors, which would give him official doctorates that he could use to obtain or build a great career. She just hoped that he'd managed to get there, test, and get home without getting involved in any trouble.

As Rose made her way to her car she made several decisions. One: The Doctor needed a mobile phone, so she could keep in touch with him. He wouldn't like it and would probably complain about it constantly, but it was a necessity. Two: She was going to take him somewhere remote and make sure he knew how to drive a car safely now that he had a driver's license. She'd never seen him drive before, but if his skills in driving a TARDIS were anything to go by, they had some work to do. Three: She wanted to spend a day with him, just exploring somewhere. There were plenty of historical landmarks all around Wales that they could go to, and he might enjoy finding the differences between this universe's history and their original one.

As Rose walked to her car, deep in thought, she didn't pay much attention to her surroundings. As of late, she had grown especially cautious and maybe even a bit paranoid. However, at this moment, she was distracted and as she opened her car door and got in, she didn't see the man standing in the shadowed alley. He stood there, watching and smirking, as she drove off. He had been observing her for a long while now, Pete Tyler's eldest daughter, and had lost track of her for a short time. He was very pleased to see her again and that his time spent planning was not in vain.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Rose unlocked the door and entered the flat. The lights were still off and it was quiet. Her hand automatically went back to rest on the gun in the back of her jeans as she moved further in to the flat. She stood, listening for anything out of the ordinary, for a long moment. She moved stealthily through the dark rooms, tense and ready for something to jump out. Nothing did, however, so she sighed and forced herself to relax. She made her way back to the kitchen and flipped on the lights.

The Doctor hadn't made it home yet, but that didn't surprise her. He was taking tests to obtain two doctorates in one day. She was sure that the tests would both be very long and tedious. She smiled to herself as she imagined him fidgeting restlessly, upset about having to sit still for more than an hour. Rose rummaged through the cabinets and fridge, pulling out ingredients, and set to work making some alfredo pasta. It was quick and she was tired.

After taking a small portion for herself, she put the rest on a plate for the Doctor and placed it on the stove. She ate quickly, washed the dishes, and found a small notepad in one of the drawers. Smiling to herself, she scribbled down a little note for him and left it next to the plate before heading to her room. It was hard for her to believe that she'd just come home from work, cooked dinner for herself and the Doctor, left him a note on the stove, and that this was their life now. It was so domestic and not at all what she would have imagined for them, especially knowing how much the Doctor hates domestics.

She took a quick shower, dressed in a white cotton vest and pale blue knickers, then flipped off her bedroom light. She stretched her arms and yawned hugely, tears forming in her eyes from the effort. The nightmares would come, there was no avoiding them, but she had to try to sleep as much as possible. Especially now that she was taking up the position as head of Torchwood 3. It was a lot of responsibility, and she couldn't afford to fail. She pulled the gun from beneath her pillow and lay it on her nightstand, hoping she'd feel safer if she fell asleep looking at it and knowing it was there.

Rose slid beneath the black duvet and turned on her side, looking at the handgun and repeating a mantra to herself. '_I can take care of myself. I'm safe. I can take care of myself. I'm safe. . .'_ the words were still echoing in her head as she drifted to sleep.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

About 2 hours later, the Doctor shuffled his way into the flat. He was irritated and beyond tired. The tests themselves had been a piece of cake and he'd passed them with perfect scores, but the sitting still all day in a silent room with a stodgy old man had almost driven him mad. He noticed the kitchen light was on and perked up, hoping to see Rose waiting for him. He hurried into the kitchen and gave a little disappointed frown when he found it empty.

He looked around the room and noticed the plate and note on the stove. She may not have waited up for him, but she had thought of him and cared enough to take care of him. Walking over, he grabbed the plate and stuck it into the stainless steel microwave (which could be a little more sonic in his opinion) and began reheating it. Then, picking up the small note he read:

_Doctor,_

_Sorry I didn't wait up. I was knackered. _

_Hope your in the mood for alfredo. . ._

_anyway, I know you did great today. _

_Can't wait to see you in the morning. _

By the time he finished reading the note, he was grinning and in a decidedly better mood. He brought his pasta to the dining table and, after discovering some parts were hotter than others, made a mental note to make some adjustments to the appliances. He used to do that back in the other universe, making things at Jackie's flat better. He remembered fondly how irritated Jackie would get, calling after they'd left and rant about 'alien-ing up her flat'. Rose would laugh, which made putting up with Jackie well worth it.

He ate quickly, after feeling practically starved all day. The tests hadn't left him any time to go get lunch or even a snack. After finishing up, he washed his plate and headed to his room. His mind worked quickly, planning out the things he wanted to accomplish over the next week or so, as he got prepared to take a shower. His ensuite was a decent size and was lightly decorated with accents that were meant to remind someone of the beach. He didn't particularly care for it, but it didn't really bother him enough to change it.

He undressed himself, and stood in front of the bathroom mirror. His eyes raked down his reflection, taking in every single detail and comparing it to the memory of his fully Time Lord body. On the outside he looked exactly the same, except that his hair seemed to be growing just a bit faster and being in the sun for a short time today had caused his freckles to be more noticeable. He closed his eyes and focused on his single heart, beating slowly and steady in his chest. Focusing on that aspect of this body brought his shortened life-span and inevitable aging to the forefront of his mind.

He opened his eyes and looked at the face of his reflection. The man in the mirror looked calm and collected but there was an emotion simmering just beneath the surface, it showed in his eyes. Fear. He'd lost everything that he thought made him The Doctor. His Time Lord biology, all of time and space, his TARDIS, his long life . . . without those things, who was he? Just an ordinary man with extraordinary memories. He tugged roughly at his hair in frustration as he turned and stepped into the shower.

He washed up quickly and stepped out, feeling refreshed and a little lighter. Just as he finished wrapping a short white towel around his waist, he flinched as he heard a scream echoing through the flat. He immediately recognized the scream as Rose's and panic set in. The Doctor rushed through his room and the hallway and opened Rose's door.

Just as soon as he'd entered the room, he heard a flurry of movement in the darkness and the metallic clicking sound that brought the image of a gun to his mind. He moved to flip on the light switch but only made it two steps before he was slammed roughly against the wall. His arm was twisted painfully behind his back and something cold and metal pressed into his temple. The Doctor immediately noticed small details, the feel of the hand that was gripping his wrist in a position that it could be easily broken, the sound of the panicked breathing at his back, and the size of the gun pressed to his head. All of the details told him that it was Rose who was pinning him to the wall with her loaded gun to his head.

"Rose. . ." his voice was a hoarse whisper, his throat was tight with emotion. How had Rose turned become this fearful and violent?

The sound of his voice shook Rose out of her panicked daze. She gasped and stumbled away from him. The Doctor turned to face her and flexed his sore wrist while he watched her warily. She lowered the gun to her side and began trembling.

"Oh my God. . . I'm so sorry, Doctor. I'm sorry. . " her voice cracked with emotion and she shook her head, avoiding his intense gaze. This was something she'd never be able to forgive herself for. Her fear and paranoia had made her come dangerously close to killing him. Her heart pounded in her chest as he slowly approached her. He reached out and gingerly retrieved the gun from her hand. She let him take it, feeling disgusted with herself. He flicked on the safety and unloaded the gun, then walked over and placed it on the night stand.

"Rose. . . You need to talk to me. Tell me what happened to you. Why are you so afraid?" He asked in a pleading voice as he came to stand in front of her. She took a step back from him but stopped when the back of her knees met the edge of her bed.

"Doctor, I can't. . I can't talk about it. It hurts to much. . . " she covered her face with her hands and sat down heavily on the bed. He stood quietly for a moment, his heart breaking at the sight of his Rose being so tormented.

"You don't have to talk. . . but I need to know. I want to help you." he said softly, sitting next to her. When she looked over at him questioningly, tears sliding down her face, he continued. "I could look at your memories, if you want. You won't have to talk about it and I can block you from seeing what I see. . ."

Rose gave a deep, shuddering sigh and turned to face him. "You can still do that?" she asked, looking at him with a mixture of hope and agony. He nodded and reached over, brushing her soft blonde hair back from her face.

"I have a. . . mostly human body now, but my mind is still all Time Lord." he told her. She nodded her consent to him, scooting a little closer to and forcing herself to relax. She didn't want him to know about the horrible things she'd been through, she was afraid that he would think of her differently, but more than that she needed someone to confide in. She needed him to understand and to accept her as she was now.

He hesitated a moment, giving her time to ready herself or to back out. When she gave him another small nod, he moved his hands and cupped her face. His palms rested against her cheeks and his fingers pressed gently to her temples. She sighed at the sensation of his warm hands, taking comfort in his touch.

"If there is anything you don't want me to see, just imagine it behind a door. . . Just relax and let me in, Rose." he muttered, closing his eyes and relaxing his shoulders. Rose closed her eyes and focused. Every Torchwood agent was given a bit of psychic training to protect themselves against telepathic aliens, but while traveling with the Doctor he'd given her a lot of training too. She lowered all her barriers and decided to open her mind to him completely. She wanted him to know everything about her, as she was now, so that he could make the decision to accept or reject her.

The Doctor smiled to himself as he caught her last thought. He was a bit surprised at how practiced she had become at using psychic barriers but more surprised that she'd given him complete access to her mind. He remembered how adamantly against it she used to be, and felt honored that she would give him this much trust.

Rose sensed a glowing warmth seep into her mind. Tendrils of what she could only describe as the Doctor caressed her consciousness and left her feeling content and relaxed. From her perspective, he was comforting her and easing her fears, blanketing her mind in his very essence and the love he felt for her. However from his perspective, he quickly found the memories he was searching for. They were like flashing neon warning signs in her mind, surrounded by darkness and seeping into every other part of her mind.

He moved forward and immersed himself into the first memory.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Strong warnings for this chapter. Some of the situations may be triggers and this chapter will contain a lot of violence, angst, gore and adult language. And for the normal disclaimer: I don't own anything you would recognize from Doctor Who or Torchwood. If you can't handle this kind of stuff, feel free to skip ahead.**

The Doctor's mind focused and he found himself reliving Rose's memory through her perspective:

_She was crouched low, moving stealthily, sneaking closer to the entrance to the warehouse. The creature they had been tracking for a little over a week was inside. It had been taking children from all the surrounding cities in Wales via the sewers and storm drains. They didn't know what the creature wanted or did with the abducted children because it was an unknown species of alien that they couldn't communicate with. They did, however, know that the children never came home and they all expected the worst. _

_Rose glanced back behind her at her two fellow Torchwood agents. They were moving quietly and following her lead, their loaded weapons at the ready. One of them, Jayden, was equipped with tranquilizers and a very large stun gun. His sandy brown hair and hazel eyes shined in the bright mid-day sun as he moved with the ease of a seasoned agent. He was a kind person and laughed easily. Rose had grown fond of him and thought of him as a little brother. _

_Skylar, the second agent, came to a stop behind Jayden and gave Rose a curt nod. He was older than both Rose and Jayden, making him the senior and lead agent. He would usually take the lead on most missions, but sometimes because of Rose's experience with alien life forms from her time traveling with the Doctor, she was put in charge. His grey eyes were hard and intense, regarding his surroundings with complete focus. Rose had a lot of respect for him but he wasn't easy to get along with. _

_They reached a small door that was cracked open and Rose motioned for them to halt. She moved to the far side of the door and used her flashlight to peek inside. After a tense quiet moment, she motioned for them to proceed inside. They moved quickly and quietly, hoping to keep the element of surprise. She let the men go in first, and backed in through the door way, covering their backs. They made their way through the warehouse to a metal stairway in the very back. As they proceeded down the stairs, Skylar cursed under his breath at the noise their combat boots made. Their footsteps echoed loudly against the aluminum steps._

_"_There's no fuckin way this thing hasn't heard us by now." _Jayden whispered to Rose. She sighed through her nose and glanced back at him. She gripped her assault rifle tighter and stepped off of the last step. Their heads snapped up as they heard something shift in the darkness ahead. Goosebumps rose over her skin at the eerie sound and the smell that wafted through the stagnant air of the warehouse basement. _

_"_That'll be decomposition."_ Skylar muttered, his thick American country accent and gruff voice carrying through the deafening silence. Rose breathed in shallow breaths and covered her nose with the back of her hand. Another scraping, shifting sound caused the hair on her arms and the back of her neck raise up. _

_"_Alrigh' be on guard. Skylar, try to find the children. Jayden. . with me." _Rose ordered quietly. Her heart pounded in her chest and she fought to sound a lot more confident than she felt. Skylar disappeared into the darkness to their left and Rose led Jayden off to the right. _

_They halted and listened intently as they heard the clacking of the alien's many legs against the old hardwood floor. The footsteps receded, off in the direction that Skylar went and Rose spoke quietly into her earpiece, warning the man of the alien's approach. She willed her nerves to settle, telling herself that the agent could take care of himself and continued with Jayden. They moved toward the area where the creature had been resting when they'd arrived and Jayden lit his flashlight. He gasped and stumbled backward, eyes wide and mouth slack at the sight in front of him. _

_They'd found the children. Rose felt bile rise up in her throat as she looked at what was left of them. Small mummy-like corpses lay in a large pile and some that were dead and decomposing lay in a separate but smaller pile, having been discarded after being drained of their vitality or ripped apart. She fought back the tears in her eyes and choked back a sob as Jayden fumbled nervously, pulling a digital camera from his pack. He lifted the camera toward the children and snapped a few pictures. He'd need them for his report later, and Rose made a mental note to be the one who went over the report. She didn't want anyone else to have to see this. _

_"_We need to move. . . Find Skylar." _Rose whispered, tearing her eyes away from the bodies. They both flinched as they heard a loud gunshot followed by a scream that was cut short. The silence that followed fell on them heavily, like a smothering blanket. Jayden glanced over at Rose, who was frozen in panic. She broke out into a full sprint toward where the scream came from, her chest tight with fear and anticipation. She barely registered Jayden calling her name from behind her, begging her to come back or to be careful. _

_"_Don't be dead. . Don't be dead. . Please. . "_ she pleaded as she ran. A flash of deep crimson and that clacking sound brought her to an abrupt halt. She turned just in time to see the alien snake it's way around her and raise up, tall and menacing. It's long centipede like body moved like a serpent, it's strong torso that resembled that of a human was taught and ready for action, and a viscous hissing sound escaped it's scorpion looking head. Rose raised her rifle, taking aim, but couldn't get the shot out fast enough._

_The alien screeched and whipped it's barbed tail around, catching Rose off guard. A large razor sharp spike impaled her arm and knocked her sideways into the wall. Her head smacked against the wall with a loud crack and her vision went white as pain exploded through her head and arm. She shook her head, aware that the creature was moving toward her and trying to clear her vision. _

_"_ROSE!" _Jayden's voice echoed loudly through the darkness, causing the creature to turn toward him. Rose's vision cleared enough that she saw Jayden fire his stun gun at the alien, but it only succeeded in pissing it off more. Rose blinked a few time's and tried to reach for her rifle but cried out in pain as her other arm was moved. She looked back to see that it was pinned to the wall by the spike that impaled it. _

_"_Shit! . . Jayden get away! RUN!"_ she screamed, seeing the creature move toward her friend. He took a few quick steps backward and tripped, falling onto his backside and looking up at the alien with fear. Rose reached for the spike in her arm and, taking a deep breath, yanked it out and letting a hot wave of fresh blood spill to the floor. She bit her lip so hard that she felt blood fill her mouth and she spat on the ground and pressed her hand against the jagged hole in her forearm.  
_

_She looked up to see the alien lash out and grab Jayden, much like a praying mantis captures it's prey. She wanted to scream, she wanted to move forward to help, she wanted to do anything but what she was doing now. But she couldn't . . . fear and the weight of what was happening had her frozen in place. She watched as the creature lifted Jayden by his arms and legs. Time seemed to slow down to an agonizingly slow pace as Jayden's eyes met hers. She held his terrified gaze, knowing her's looked just as panicked and could offer him no comfort. His eyes stayed locked onto hers, pleading for help as the creature twisted his body into an unnatural shape. The sickening sound of bones cracking, tendons popping, and flesh ripping met Rose's ears. Her brain jump started itself, as the alien pulled her friend's body into two halves. Running solely on the animal instinct of self preservation, Rose turned and ran back toward the stairs. Her blood was rushing in her ears but she could still hear the loud clacking sound of the alien's many spiked feet as it chased her. _

_She saw the stairs just ahead, and cried out as she tripped over something large. She hit the floor roughly and quickly rolled herself over to see what had tripped her. Skylar, or what was left of him, was laying across the floor at her feet. His body resembled that of the children they had discovered, drained and mummy-like. His hollow eyes stared at her blankly, causing a crushing wave of guilt to overwhelm her. The alien screeched again, getting closer as it's legs scurried furiously. Rose pushed herself off the floor and ran as fast as she could. _

_She flew up the aluminum stairs, taking them two at a time. When she reached the top, she turned and looked down into the darkness. The alien came to a stop at the foot of the steps and screeched up at her in a rage. It's body was too large to follow her through. She walked backwards and blinked hard to clear away her tears. She looked around the warehouse, determined to rid the Earth of the monster. She found as much flammable chemicals and materials as possible and dropped them into the hole on top of the writhing angry alien. _

_She splashed paint thinner on the steps and alien, through the warehouse and to the outside. She stood outside, in the sun, listening to the faint screeches of the alien inside. The images of her teammates' bodies flashed in front of her eyes, bringing on a new wave of nausea, anger, and guilt. She knelt and pulled a small lighter from her pocket, lit it and tossed it forward onto the paint thinner. _

_Standing slowly, she watched the trail of flames snake it's way into the ware house and waited. Then as the alien began to scream loudly and the entire warehouse began glowing, she turned and walked away. _

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The Doctor was jerked roughly from that memory and immediately thrown into the next one.

_OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo_

_Rose coughed and clawed roughly at the thick strong arm around her throat. What was meant to be a simple retrieval of a crashed alien ship had gone horribly wrong. The ship had belonged to a friendly species, but the pirate inside was not so friendly. She was now being held hostage by the pirate and used as a human shield. He'd murdered the original owners of the ship and was trying desperately to escape. _

_Her partner on this particular mission was Ianto Jones, as everyone else was otherwise occupied with other missions or on holiday. Ianto stood in front of them, a gun raised threateningly at the alien pirate as he tried to bargain for her freedom. The alien chuckled darkly into her ear and spoke in a low, melodic voice._

_"_If I allow her to live, it will be for the purpose of becoming my slave. I could get quite a hefty sum for this female." _Rose shivered and met Ianto's gaze. _

"Rose. . . I'm going to shoot. I'll try my best to not cause you any permanent damage." _Ianto told her in a calm, low voice. Rose knew he was a lot more nervous and frightened that he was letting on, but at this moment she was extremely thankful that he was controlling his emotions. She felt her heart pounding in her chest and fear grip her mind. She nodded, placing all her trust in her partner. She knew Ianto was a good man, and that he would do his best._

_The pirate snorted in disbelief behind her and tightened his grip around her neck. Ianto stared into Rose's eyes for a moment more, trying to offer her some form of comfort, then he fired. The bullet ripped completely through her shoulder and settled into the pirate's heart. He released Rose and cried out, falling backwards onto the ground with a loud thud. Rose slumped forward, her vision going black and fire burning through her shoulder. The last thing she was aware of was Ianto's arms wrapping around her and her name being whispered._

_OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo_

The Doctor's consciousness pulled away from that memory and moved to the last one, it seemed to be the most intense. He pushed forward, trying to prepare himself for whatever he might see.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

_"Ah, fuck. . "Rose cursed, looking down at her filthy boots. She was trudging through a sewer and searching for yet another alien that was taking people. This one was in London and she'd insisted on going it alone. She still had nightmares about what had happened last time and she would not risk it happening again. Pete, her father but not her father. . she hadn't started calling him dad yet, would be furious with her when she returned to Torchwood headquarters, but she'd worry about that later. She glanced at the device on her wrist, it's soft bleeping letting her know that she was getting close to the alien's nest. Her backpack was full of weapons and as she walked, she focused her mind to become void of the negative emotions that so often overwhelmed her. _

_She steered her thoughts toward memories of the Doctor, hoping to lighten her mood a little. If she was going to be honest with herself, she was very certain she might die down here and she wanted her last thoughts to be of the man she loved. She tried to imagine how he'd complain about his trainers and suit being ruined by the sewer sludge and smiled to herself. _

_A splash behind her caused her to whip around quickly and shine her light into the dark tunnel. Her eyes widened as the very large creature came into her view. It resembled a huge grotesque toad. It's front feet were equipped with long gleaming claws and it's hind legs were thick and powerful. It's huge gaping mouth opened slowly. Rose grimaced at the sight of it's slimy grey flesh and bright orange eyes, it's mouth reeking and full of small rows of pointed teeth. It began to move toward her at an alarmingly fast pace._

_She turned and ran, looking for any small hole to duck into. She saw an opening up ahead and pushed herself forward, faster and faster. She skidded and slipped as she cut the corner sharply and threw herself into the opening. The toad alien made to follow her in, but got stuck halfway in the hole, it's large plump body betraying it. It lashed out at her with it's claws, making contact with her hip before she could move away. Rose cried out and fell backwards onto the damp stone floor. She cringed and reached for her gun. _

_The toad struggled furiously to move either forward or backward, to dislodge itself from the hole. Rose fumbled with her flashlight and gun in the darkness, releasing the safety and taking aim. She hesitated for a moment, memories of the Doctor making her have second thoughts about killing the toad. She lowered her weapon slightly and felt her knees begin to tremble as the pain from her hip chilled her to the bones. The toad opened it's mouth and screeched at her, bringing a flood of unwanted memories to the forefront of Rose's mind. She screamed in a rage and took aim again, firing the gun over and over until all of her ammo was spent._

_She fell onto her hands and knees and cried. _

_What seemed like an eternity later, Rose crawled toward the dead alien. The deep gashes on her hip and thigh prevented her from walking, and the poison that was in the toad's claws was beginning to have an effect on her. She pressed her hands against the toad and pushed as hard as her injured body would allow. It didn't budge. She kept trying until exhaustion caused her to give up. _

_Rose crawled to the wall furthest from the toad and leaned back against it. She set to work cleaning her wounds as quickly as possible, knowing that the poison would take over soon. She grabbed her mobile phone from her pocket and turned it on. It didn't have much battery left and no signal for calls, but she hoped that by having it on for a short time someone would be able to track her down._

_A few moments later, spots and colors began to dance in front of her eyes and her mind began to feel fuzzy. Within minutes she was having full blown hallucinations. Jayden's death played out in front of her in life like vividness multiple times. Hours passed and after having cried until she couldn't anymore, she found herself becoming numb to it. Her heart too broken to feel anymore. When that vision stopped affecting her, a new hallucination took its place. The children from that day, they would walk toward her with their broken and mummy-like bodies jerking unnaturally. _

_"_Why didn't you save us? We needed you."_ they chanted, surrounding her and tormenting her. The relentless poison induced visions kept morphing and driving her closer and closer to insanity. _

_It was nearly 48 hours later before help arrived in the forms of Dr. Owen Harper and Mickey. _

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The Doctor opened his eyes slowly and lowered his trembling hands from her face. She was watching him with a very nervous and guarded expression, her shoulders tense. He didn't speak for a long moment, trying to process everything he had seen and think of what to say to her. He didn't think he could come up with adequate words to offer her the reassurance and comfort she needed. As he hesitated, tears formed in Rose's eyes and slid down her cheeks.

"You hate me now..." she choked out, covering her face with her hands to hide her despair. The Doctor sighed deeply, and wrapped his arms around her. He pulled her close and rocked her softly as she cried.

"Rose. . . My feelings haven't changed. I'm just. . " he paused, struggling with the words. "I'm sorry. . I'm so so sorry you had to go through all of that." he finished quietly. Rose's grip around him tightened and she sighed. He moved his hands to her shoulders and gently pushed her back. Then, saying nothing. . . he kissed her.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Don't own anything you'll recognize from Doctor Who or Torchwood. Smut warning for this chapter. If you don't like it, skip it. :)**

Her mouth was soft, yielding, as he kissed her languidly. She leaned into him, her hands resting on his waist as she kept her face completely still, her eyes half closed as he spread light kisses on her lips. The top, then the bottom, the corner of her mouth, one eyelid then the other. Her cheeks. Next to her ear where he started to nibble, her hands closed into fists on the towel that was draped around his hips. It only just registered in her mind that he was practically naked and she felt her cheeks and ears heat up, knowing that she was blushing.

He moved to her neck, his hand going around to caress the small of her back. She sighed in pleasure as his clever hands danced over her flesh, pushing her shirt up slowly. He trailed soft kisses from the tip of her shoulder, up her neck, and back to her ear. She breathed deeply, savoring the scent of soap and the Doctor. His hair was still damp and cold when it brushed against her cheek as he pressed his lips to her skin.

"Oh Rose, . . I want. . I need. . " the Doctor said into her ear, his voice low and needy, as his grip on her waist tightened. He couldn't find the right words for what he wanted to say. Rose shivered and reached up to cup his face in her hands. He looked at her with a heavy lidded expression, his eyes full of emotion. Rose studied his face for a moment. This was too soon, wasn't it? Then again, maybe it wasn't. Even though he wasn't the fully Time Lord Doctor now, he used to be. He used to be the same man, and even now he was the same man in a different body. She had loved and wanted the Doctor for so long, and if the man in front of her was the Doctor and felt the same way. . . there was no reason to hold back anymore.

At that moment, understanding dawned on her. This is why the other Doctor left her here with this half human version of himself. This half human Doctor could spend his 'forever' with her, unlike the other one. He could give her his everything, love her without holding back and the fear of watching her wither and die long before him. He could devote himself to her in ways that the other Doctor would have never been able to. She knew that the other Doctor loved her, and he had sacrificed his happiness and a chance to travel with her again so that she could have this. He would go on, traveling through all of time and space, for centuries and be able to believe that she was, in a way, living a Fantastic life with him by her side. This Doctor now knew her darkest memories and he still wanted her. She felt love for the Time Lord, and for her human Doctor well up inside her and smiled softly at him.

"Doctor . . . make love to me." she whispered, looking into his dark brown eyes and feeling her own desire growing and spreading through her like fire. He inhaled sharply, a small gasp in response to her request, then lunged forward to capture her lips with his. He kissed her hungrily and she responded with equal intensity, her hands finding and grasping his damp hair, musing it up and pulling him closer.

Rose moaned softly into his mouth as he pushed her backwards onto the bed. She stopped kissing him long enough to move up the bed and lay back against the pillows. He followed and hovered over her on his hands and knees. Rose watched him as his curious eyes moved down her body, then back up to her face. She returned the favor, taking her time to look at his exposed body. He was toned and lithe, giving the impression of a deceptive strength and speed. A quiet appreciative growl escaped his chest as he lowered his head and kissed her again.

She ghosted her hands over his warm skin, exploring his shoulders and chest as he kissed her thoroughly. His mouth found its way back to her neck, sucking and nipping lightly at her sensitive skin. The Doctor's hands moved up her torso, taking her cotton vest up with it. She raised up slightly and let him pull it up over her head and toss it to the floor. His mouth went back to her neck immediately and she sighed. He worked his way lower then began to worship her breasts with his mouth, his hands, and his eyes. Every touch and kiss was almost reverent. She rewarded him with a shiver and soft moan as he licked the valley between her breasts, teasing her tight nipples with slow strokes from his thumbs. She arched her body up into him, tension leaving her in waves.

"So beautiful. . .my Rose." he muttered against her breast before swirling his tongue around her nipple. Her fingers trailed over his smooth bare shoulders, learning every point of bone, the straps of lean muscle.

'_Moments like this will make the hard times easier to bear.' _Rose thought to herself as he kissed his way down her smooth stomach. His hands caressed her body, mapping and exploring every inch of her. He kissed the line of her lower abdomen, hip bone to hip bone, small touches of his tongue tracing the line of skin over the low rise of her knickers. She made as small noise of need and he could smell her desire as he laid his hands on her soft thighs.

Lifting his gaze to her face, he hesitated. She realized he was waiting for her consent and gave him a small nod while she bit her bottom lip gently. The Doctor hooked his long nimble fingers into the waistband of her knickers and eased them down her legs. She lay before him, completely bare and very aroused. He sat back a little, looking at her and committing the sight to memory, his face more open and vulnerable than she'd ever seen. Rose began to grow self conscious under his scrutiny and began to close her legs to hide herself. He stopped her with his hands on her knees, gently pushing her legs apart.

"Please. . Don't ever hide from me." he said softly, lowering himself and placing a gentle kiss to the inside of her knee. Rose propped herself up on her elbow and reached forward, caressing his face as he trailed soft open-mouthed kisses down her thigh toward her center. She ached with need for him, squirming and shivering in anticipation. Finally, he reached where she needed him most, giving a tentative lick from her entrance to her clit. He moaned against her, showing his pleasure at tasting her. Rose gripped his hair gently and she gasped. He did it again, giving her long slow licks, keeping his hands on her thighs to hold her still.

He teased and lavished her with his very clever tongue and mouth, bringing her quickly to the brink of orgasm but not pushing her over. Rising, he slid his arm beneath her waist and used his other hand to remove his towel. She moved her legs so that his hips were nestled perfectly between her thighs as he lowered himself over her. She rocked her hips, feeling his erection pressing against her intimately. She framed his face in her hands as he kissed her deeply and thoroughly, letting her taste herself. It was something she'd never experienced before, but it wasn't bad. He lined himself up at her entrance and pushed slowly and deeply into her.

"Aaaahhh..." She moaned breathlessly, arching up into his body. His arm tightened around her waist, pulling her closer and pushing deeper inside her. He closed his eyes, the feeling of her wet heat closing around him in this sacred moment was almost overwhelming. He sighed through his nose and pressed another soft kiss to her lips as he began to move. Rose's hands gripped at his shoulders as he rocked his hips slowly, pushing himself deep inside her and pulling out. Each inward thrust sent a wave of pleasure through her abdomen and stoked the fire of her desire.

Her nails scraped lightly over his skin, so that he increased the power of his strokes, his own desire rising. Her lips parted with her gasps and moans, so that he couldn't resist bending and covering them with his own. She met him with a hard kiss, her tongue seeking his, her hands now on his head, fingers threading through his already disheveled brown hair as his lower body lifted and fell, increasing the power of the impact as they came together more rapidly.

"My Rose." he growled against her lips then moaned as she wrapped her legs around his hips, letting him push deeper inside her. She writhed beneath him, panting and lifting her hips to meet his thrusts.

"My Doctor. . " she answered breathlessly, running her fingertips through his sideburns, her eyes locking with his as moved in and out of her.

"Yours. Forever. . . I really do love you, Rose Tyler." he whispered it, lying down on her body, his mouth against her ear as he held her pinned to the bed. He slowed his strokes to rub with excruciating small movements against her clit while she quivered and moaned beneath him. She locked her arms around his shoulders, her legs still around his hips. She pressed her face against his shoulder as he rocked her, pumping her slowly against him, reaching beneath her to palm her soft bottom and guide her on him, up, down, deep in, dragging out.

Within moments, the grip of her arms increased and she shattered, arching up into him and moaning his name as her orgasm took her. As she spasmed around him, muffling her cries against his shoulder, the last thread of his restraint snapped from watching her come apart beneath him. . . because of him. He gripped her hip tightly and pounded into her, chasing his own release and prolonging hers with his movements, his touch, and the harsh rasp of his breath against her ear.

He thrust deep into her and stilled, a long throaty groan leaving him. Rose shuddered at the sound as he ground his hips against her, pressing into her to the hilt and trembling with his own release, filling her with his hot seed.

The Doctor groaned again and lowered his forehead to hers, both of them breathing heavily and coming down from their climax. Rose lifted her chin a bit and pressed her lips gently to his. They kissed slowly and lazily, just enjoying the quiet moment. She gave a small gasp as she felt his consciousness reach out and touch hers tentatively. She opened her mind to him and sighed in relief as he filled her head with his feeling of contentment and his love for her into her. They stayed like that, basking in the afterglow of their love making for a few moments before he slipped out of her and rolled over to lay beside her.

Rose wiggled around and managed to get the black duvet from beneath them. She pulled it up over herself and the Doctor, and snuggled into his side. He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close and she rested her head on his shoulder and her hand on his chest. She lay there quietly for a while, listening to his single heart and his now slow and steady breathing.

"I love you, too." she whispered, knowing he was already asleep.


End file.
